Aircraft



P. ADAMS.

AIRCRAFT. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21, I918- Patented July 1, 1919. 7

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witness;

PLADAMS,

AIR-CRAFT.

Patented July 1, 1919.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PERDE ADAMS, 0F NEWTON, GEORGIA.

AIRCRAFT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 1, 1919.

Application filed June 21, 1918. Serial No. 241,281.

declare the following to be a full, clear, and

exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention is an improvement in aircraft and has particular reference to a suspension g'un carriage therefor.

An ob ect of the invention is to support a gun carriage beneath an aeroplane or other air ship in such manner that the carriage may be lowered a considerable distance beneath the craft for the purpose of combating submarines or the like and which may be again elevated or raised to a normal posltion directly beneath the craft.

Another object is to provide an improved mechanism operable by the engine of the air craft for accomplishing the ra1sing and lowering of the gun carriage.

A further object is to partially overcome the elfect of the additional weight applied to the aircraft by the attachment of the gun carriage thereto by providing the latter with a buoyant body.

The inventive idea involved is capable of receiving a variety of mechanical expressions, one of which, for the purpose of illustrating the invention, is shown in the accompanying drawing wherein Figure 1 is aside elevation of an aeroplane showing the n carriage attached thereto and in a posltion directly beneath the air craft Fig.2 is a front elevation. FFig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of i'. 1'.

ig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of l ig. 5 is a longitudinal section. Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig 1.

ig. 7 is a detailed pers ective view of the means for supporting t e gun carriage directly beneath the aircraft.

Fig. 8 is a conventional view showing the gun carriage lowered.

The invention is shown as employed in connection with an aeroplane 10 including the usualmotor 11 for propelling the same but it will be understood,- of course, that said gun being of any desired type and having a swivel connection 15 with said base. The base 13 is provided at its ends with offset extensions 13 engageable with the landing gear 14' of the aeroplane 10 whereby to maintain the gun carriage steady when the same isin its raised position. The frame of the gun carriage consists of the end members 16 extending above and below the platform 12 and provided at thm' r upper ends with the loops 17 employed to attach the gun carriage to the aeroplane 10 in a manner to presently appear. To further maintain the carriage in position directly beneath the aeroplane 10, the uprights of the landing gear 14 thereof are provided with inwardly extending arms 15' to the ends of which are pivoted for vertical movement below a horizontal plane, the yoke members 16 which receive the loops 17 and which are supported in horizontal positions by resting upon the cross braces 16" of the end members 16. The lower ends of the end members 16 are provided with the wheels 18 forming a part of the landing gear of the machine. In order to relieve the aeroplane of a greater portion of the weight of the gun carriage the latter has secured thereto beneath the platform 12, in any suitable manner the buoyant body 19 in the form of a bag adapted to contain a suitable gas.

The gun carriage is preferably supported by a plurality of cables 20 corresponding 1n number to the number of end members 16 and loops 17 and each cable 20 is provided upon its lowerend with a hook 21 adapted to engage one ofthe loops 17 to support the carriage and said hooks are easily detachable from the loops in order to dlsengage the carriage. The carriage is adapted to be normally suspended directly under the aer0 plane by means of the cables 20 and to be lowered a considerable distance below the aeroplane when combating submarlnes or other craft in order that said craft maybe maneuvered into a position where the target or object will be within range of the gun 14. For the urpose of supportmg the gun carriage in this manner, there is preferably provided a pair of drums 22 upon which the cables 20 are adapted to be wound when the carriage is positioned directly beneath the aeroplane and the shafts 23 of said drums are provided .with the intermeshing gears 24 and also the gear 24, the latter being operatively connected to the engine shaft 11 of the aeroplane by means of the chain drive 24:". A clutch 25 is employed to control the operation of the drums 22 and when said clutch is in operative position the same will rotate the drums 22 to raise the gun carriage from a lowered position. The clutch 25 is operated by a lever 25 connected thereto by means of the rod 25". A lock device including a pawl 26 is associated with one of the gears 24 and actuated by a lever 27 to engage the gear whereby to retain the drums 22 stationary and thus hold ,the gun carriage at any desired position beneath the aeroplane. When it is desired to lower the gun carriage from its normal position directly beneath the aeroplane, the lock device is released and the drums allowed to rotate to unwind the cables 20 therefrom which unwinding is caused by the weight of the gun carriage and in order to prevent the too rapid lowering of said carriage the drums 22 preferably have associated therewith a brake band 28 suitably manipulated to engage the drums and decrease the speed of rotation thereof when the cables are being unwound. After the car- .then actuated to transmit the power of the engine shaft 11' to the shafts 23 of the drums 22 and thus wind the cables 20 thereon.

What is claimed is The combination with an aircraft, of a gun carriage suspended below the same and including a gun platform, a buoyant body supported below said platform, a plurality of cables detachably connected to the gun carriage for supporting the same below the aircraft, and drums carried by the aircraft and operated by the motive power thereof to Wind the cables upon said drums and raise the gun carriage to a position directly beneath the aircraft, said cables being adapted to be unwound from they drums 'by the weight of the gun carriage, and a lock device associated with said drums for preventing rotation thereof whereby to support the gun carriage at different distances below said aircraft.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

PERDE ADAMS. -Witnesses:

ALFRED CHILDs, GEORGE ANDREW. 

